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US 10,240,784 B2Granted
Burner assembly for flaring low calorific gases
AssigneeSchlumberger Technology Corporation
InventorsRoman Alexandrovich Skachkov, Christian Menger, Mikhail Petrovich Gusev, Konstantin Mikhailovich Serdyuk, Vladimir Konstantinovich Khan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A burner assembly (100) for flaring low calorific gases, such as methane with high carbon dioxide content, may be configured to provide a gradual decrease in flow velocity. The burner assembly (100) may include a conical deflector (140) that creates a relatively large recirculation zone (154) downstream of the deflector (140), thereby to stabilize fluid flow. A swirl inducing structure positioned in a final stage of the burner assembly (100) further stabilizes the fluid flow and flame at different gas flow rates.
Claims20
A burner assembly (100) for flaring a low calorific gas flowing through an inlet pipe, the burner assembly (100) comprising:
- a burner pipe (102) disposed along a burner pipe axis (104), the burner pipe (102) including an expander pipe (112) coupled to an intermediate pipe (106) and having an expander pipe cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104) that is greater than a first pipe cross-sectional area, the intermediate pipe (106) extending between the inlet pipe and the expander pipe (112) to reduce a velocity of the low calorific gas flow;
- a hub (120) disposed within a downstream portion of the expander pipe (112), the hub (120) having a hub upstream end (122) facing an upstream portion of the expander pipe (112) and a hub downstream end (124);
- a plurality of guide vanes (130) interconnecting the expander pipe (112) and the hub (120), each of the guide vanes (130) includes a guide vane upstream surface (132) facing the upstream portion of the expander pipe (112);
- and
- a deflector (140) coupled to the hub (120) and having a deflector exterior surface (146) with a substantially frustoconical shape extending radially outwardly from the burner pipe axis (104) and axially downstream of the hub downstream end (124), the deflector exterior surface (146) being oriented at a deflector surface angle (β) relative to the burner pipe axis (104).
2 more elements
A burner assembly (100) for flaring a low calorific gas flowing through a cylindrical inlet pipe, the burner assembly (100) comprising:
- a burner pipe (102) disposed along a burner pipe axis (104), the burner pipe (102) including an expander pipe (112) coupled to an intermediate pipe (106) and having an expander pipe cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104) that is greater than a first pipe cross-sectional area, the intermediate pipe (106) extending between the cylindrical inlet pipe and the expander pipe (112) to reduce a velocity of the low calorific gas flow;
- a hub (120) disposed within a downstream portion of the expander pipe (112), the hub (120) having a hub upstream end (122) facing an upstream portion of the expander pipe (112) and a hub downstream end (124), the hub (120) defining a maximum hub cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104), and in which the maximum hub cross-sectional area is approximately 30 to 50 percent of the expander pipe cross-sectional area;
- a plurality of guide vanes (130) interconnecting the expander pipe (112) and the hub (120), each of the plurality of guide vanes (130) including a guide vane upstream surface (132) facing the upstream portion of the expander pipe (112) and oriented at a guide vane angle (α) of approximately 20 to 45 degrees relative to the burner pipe axis (104);
- and
- a deflector (140) coupled to the hub (120) and having a deflector exterior surface (146) with a substantially frustoconical shape extending radially outwardly from the burner pipe axis (104) and axially downstream of the hub downstream end (124), the deflector exterior surface (146) being oriented at a deflector surface angle (β) of approximately 20 to 45 degrees relative to the burner pipe axis (104).
2 more elements
A method of flaring a low calorific gas flowing through a first pipe, comprising:
- flowing the low calorific gas through a burner pipe (102) disposed along a burner pipe axis (104), the burner pipe (102) including an expander pipe (112) coupled to an intermediate pipe (106) and having an expander pipe cross-sectional area extending substantially perpendicular to the burner pipe axis (104) that is greater than a first pipe cross-sectional area, wherein the low calorific gas flows successively through the first pipe and expander pipe (112), the intermediate pipe (106) extending between the first pipe and the expander pipe (112) to reduce a velocity of the low calorific gas flow;
- obstructing a central portion of the expander pipe cross-sectional area with a hub (120) disposed in a downstream portion of the expander pipe (112) to create a perimeter gas flow (152) along the expander pipe (112) through a plurality of guide vanes (130) that interconnect the expander pipe (112) and the hub (120), each of the guide vanes includes a guide vane upstream surface (132) facing the upstream portion of the expander pipe (112);
- rotating the perimeter gas flow (152) about the burner pipe axis (104) to create a swirling gas flow exiting the expander pipe (112);
- and
- generating a recirculation zone (154) downstream of the expander pipe (112) by directing the swirling gas flow radially outwardly along an exterior surface (146) of a deflector (140), the deflector exterior surface (146) having a substantially frustoconical shape.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.